WWDC 2014 starts on June 2 at 10am PST. Being a conference for software developers the event will mostly focus on the the new versions of OS X and iOS. What is my wish list for this year’s WWDC?
iOS
According to the rumors that have circulated in the past months we might see:
Those are great additions, especially having Preview and Textedit ported to iOS but there’s so much more that I’d like to see:
- Automator for iOS. Apps like Pythonista have shown the world how handy automation can be on a portable device. It would be so useful to have a built-in automation engine in iOS.
- File tags ported to iOS. More specifically I am still waiting for the results of Apple’s purchase of these patents.
- A way to synchronize and view PDF files between OS X and iOS. Right now I rely on Dropbox, but it’s time Apple came up with its own solution.
- Notes updated to be able to attach images. I have been using Notes for years, but they are far behind Evernote and Microsoft OneNote. Apple is known for stealing ideas from 3rd party apps and embedding them in their own operating systems. I would not be surprised if Apple came up with a Notes app on steroids capable to replace Evernote and OneNote in the most use case scenarios.
- Either a cross-system sharing file functionality or a Files.app application.
This year Apple has the chance to show its users that iOS can replace OS X in the most common user scenarios. Many of the wishes I wrote above could do just that.
The only mistake Apple should not make is to load iOS with too many features that only benefit a small percentage of users. As much as I’d like to be able to have some of them I think that would only confuse the majority of users. Those people that chose iOS because of its simplicity in fact. iOS attracts the exact type of users that were scared of even trying to use a normal computer (yes, I’m looking at you mom and dad).
OS X
Rumors about OS X 10.10 started at the end of April. The only thing we’ve heard in the past months is that OS X could undergo a facelift similar to the what happened to iOS last year.
But recent rumours that Apple was shifting developers from iOS to OS X might indicate that the under-the-hood changes in OS X 10.10 could be bigger. I don’t have particular wishes for OS X, beside the fact that I’d like to be able to store my Home folder in iCloud.
The most immediate result would be to have the Home folder available on all Macs you own and who knows even on iOS and iCloud web.
In terms of predictions, I would not rule out the fact that Apple might change OS X naming. With the current conventions you would have an OS-ten-ten-ten. Funny naming.
iCloud
This is where Apple must innovate and convince its users to invest in this service. By all means iCloud is a successful service but it lacks some features that power users complain about almost on a daily basis. I would like to see:
- Photo Stream to become the place where you can store all your photos, forever.
- Storage plans with more capacity and lower price points to allow users to backup all of their devices
- iCloud backup for OS X
- iCloud to become a big drive in the cloud, not in the same way as Dropbox is, but more like having the Home folder automatically mirrored to iCloud (see the OS X section above).
- iTunes Radio service extended worldwide. I’ve been waiting for this service for almost a year and the result is that I have eventually subscribed to Spotify.
Mac
Hopes to see new a MacBook Air dampened at the beginning of May when Apple released new models with faster CPU and longer battery life. There is still a small chance to see a MacBook Air Retina, or a revamped Mac Mini though.
There is also a recurring rumor about Apple toying with the idea of releasing ARM based MacBook Air. That is a fascinating proposition, which could solve the conundrum of having iPad like battery life and weight with the power of OS X.
In fact, the reason many power users want more features in iOS is to be able to carry around light devices with long battery life. The risk of having iOS crammed with power user features is to make it too complicated for normal users. That would defy the point of an operating system as user friendly as iOS. There is usually a direct cause-effect between added functionality and complexity. I am not so sure Apple is willing to sacrifice millions of happy users for a few of us power users.
ARM processor based Macs would solve the problem. Apple could release fan-less light Mac portable devices with battery life way longer than the current MacBook Air lineup. Or maybe it’s time for an iPad Pro.
Any Other Business
Any other business… well, will Jimmy Iovine and Dr.Dre appear at WWDC for official introductions? Hard to say but everything is possible since negotiations seem to be coming to a fruitful end.
Only a few days separate us to WWDC 2014. I am sure that whatever announcement we are going to see, they’re going to leave me speechless like every year.